U.S.SINGLE PARENT FAMILIES WALLOWS IN POVERTY

U.S. Single-Parent Families 'Worst Off' With High Poverty, High Employment

Much of the hardship faced by U.S. single parents is due to lagging social policies, Legal Momentum, an advocacy group for women in America, said in a press statement Dec. 20, citing a new report on single parents in 16 countries. The National Women's Law Center elaborates on some of these hurdles.

United Nations Bans Female Genital Mutilation

The United Nations General Assembly unanimously passed a resolution today, Dec. 21, banning the practice of Female Genital Mutilation, UN Women reported Dec. 21. This is a significant milestone towards the ending of harmful practices and violations that constitute a serious threat to the health of women and girls and is a huge advancement for women’s rights, including one on intensifying global efforts for the elimination of female genital mutilations (FGM).

While female genital mutilation is illegal when performed in the U.S., the existing federal law banning this harmful practice did not protect girls from being taken outside the U.S. to have FGM performed, Equality Now said in a press statement Dec 21. The extraterritoriality legislation, or “vacation provision,” prohibits the act of transporting a girl abroad in order to subject her to female genital mutilation. Those found guilty of doing so can now be fined and imprisoned for up to five years.

Indian Officials Promise Campaign to Protect Women on Buses

Indian officials are promising a broad campaign to protect women on buses as they arrested a fifth person in connection with the rape and brutal beating of a woman on a bus in New Delhi, Fox News reported. Home Secretary R.K. Singh said Friday that bus drivers would be required to display their identification prominently, buses would be forced to remove tinting from their windows and plainclothes police would be placed on buses to protect female passengers.

In EU, Gender No Longer a Factor in Car Insurance

The EU Gender Directive passed Dec. 21 making it a law that insurance companies can no longer use a driver’s gender as a factor when calculating their annual premium, The Telegraph reported Dec. 21.

Outrage Grows in India Over Gang-Rape on Bus

The hours-long gang-rape and near-fatal beating of a 23-year-old student on a bus in New Delhi triggered outrage and anger across the country Wednesday as Indians demanded action from authorities who have long ignored persistent violence and harassment against women, The Associated Press reported Dec. 19.

India has seen sharp rise in the number of reported gang rape cases in recent months, particularly in the north, sparking calls for stricter laws, faster convictions and increased police presence. Overall, reported rapes in India have increased by about 25 percent over the past six years, but there are no reported figures for gang rape, The New York Times reported Dec. 19.

In the streets and in Parliament, calls rose for stringent and swift punishment against those attacking women, including a proposal to make rapists eligible for the death penalty. As the calls for action grew louder, two more gang-rapes were reported, including one in which the 10-year-old victim was killed, The Associated Press reported Dec. 19.

First Woman Named Editor-in-Chief of Time

Martha Nelson has just been named the new Editor-in-Chief of Time magazine. Nelson, will be the first woman to hold the post in the 70 plus years that the weekly has existed, IndieWire reported Dec. 19.

HIV Falls in Black Women

HIV infections among black women in the U.S. declined for the first time since U.S. health officials began reporting numbers of new cases from 2006, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said, reported Bloomberg News Dec. 19. The CDC reported Dec. 19 that new HIV infections among black women fell 21 percent in 2010 compared with two years earlier, as total new infections with AIDS virus remained steady at about 50,000 new cases per year during the last decade

Amnesty International : Release Cambodian Human Rights Defenders

Amnesty International is calling on Yorm Bopha and Tim Sakmony, two female human rights defenders, to be released immediately, Amnesty International said in a press statement Dec. 19. Bopha is accused of assaulting a suspected thief, and Sakmony with making a “false declaration” to obtain accommodation for her disabled son. The authorities appear to have leveled baseless charges against them because of their peaceful struggle for land and housing rights. The two women have both been outspoken activists, peacefully struggling against the forced eviction of their communities. They are to go on trial on Dec. 26, and face between six months and five years in jail if found guilty.

source:womenenews.org